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Blue Collar Bloc
| Seats2 Title = Governorships | Seats2 = | Website = www.bcb.dr | politics = Politics of Dranland | political parties = Political parties of Dranland | elections = Elections of Dranland | }} The Blue Collar Bloc more popularly known as the BCB is a working man's party which was founded in October 3523 in Elbian. It was founded by former DAL Minority Leader and Vice President Sean Yates, a year after the League's second collapse. The BCB was a coalition of labour unions, Hosian churches and other activist groups. It was dissolved upon the party congress' vote to change its name to the Dranish Social Union Ideology Economy The BCB stands for a mixed economy with heavy government interfence in order to ensure that equality develops in the realm. The party favours large agricultural subsidies for small scale farmers . The party supports a progressive income tax code. Ecology The party embraces an anthropocentric policy putting the needs of humans and industries before those of animals and plants. The party supports increased industrialisation. Defence The BCB supports a strong military with access to all types of weaponry. The party favours increased military spending which it views a part of an effective deterrent. Social Issues The BCB is strongly socially conservative and opposes abortion, same sex marriage and recognition of other alternative lifestyles such as cross dressing. Devolution The BCB desires to maintain a strongly unitary government and believes that local governments are a cause and symbol of inefficiency and waste. Foreign policy The BCB supports an interventionist foreign policy and also supports full annexation of the DAZ and its organisation as the sixth province of Dranland. The party opposes free trade and wants heavy tariffs especially on industrial and agricultural products. The BCB proposes to limit immigration to Dranland to 'very small numbers' and supports harsh crackdowns on illegal immigrants. Structure The party leader is elected by party members and has to win 50%+1 in order to avoid a run off. A leadership election is triggered if more than half of all MPs sign a statement calling for it. The deputy Chairman is elected in a similar fashion on a separate ballot. The party is strongly centralised and has no provincial sub-parties although there is some organisation on the constituency level where the party's parliamentary (national and provincial) candidates are chosen. The party nominates a Presidential candidate or declares support of another party's at a 'magic circle' meeting composed of the party executive, provincial governors and leading MPs. This group also chooses gubernatorial candidate. Support The party's support is strongest amongst lower middle class citizens, small scale farmers and small town dwellers. Its support is strongest in Loren and in Ulbrach especially in the military bases. History Under Sean Yates Yates founded the party out of the ashes of the DAL and led it to success in the 3523 election with some 20% of the vote. He aligned it firmly with the Alliance of the Left and joined the organisation soon after the party's creation. In 357 Yates led the AoL to victory as its presidential candidate and the BCB gained 35 seats winning a very strong 28.76% of the vote. Robert Pugh the Vice-Chairman who had been acting party Chairman since March 3527 was elected to replace Yates as Chairman yet he was viewed as a stooge to continue the President's domination of his party. Pugh remained Chairman till 3530 when he was forced to resign after spouting some extremely sexist views in a drunken radio interview. An interim executive council took over until the election of Infrastructure Minister, Enrique Rodriguez in 3531. Yates led an activist government which saw a great boost to social welfare, increased taxes for high income earners and several other reforms. his leadership however alienated the more centrist members of the AoL and this led to his defeat at the 3531 elections. Post-election Yates returned to the party leadership in November 3532. His second stint as Chairman coincided with the BCB's weakest point yet and this was proven when the party lost 47 seats in the 3534 elections. Shortly after in November of that year, Yates succumbed to a heart attack. Under Aubrey Hathaway Yates left a great void which was quickly filled by the then Parliamentary Leader Aubrey Hathaway, a senior M.P. from Magadonia from who faced a stiff challenge from the reformists now led by a more popular Timothy Omundsson. Hathaway was a fiscal moderate and behind the BCB's decision to vote in favour of the 'lesser' austerity budget which offered less sharper cuts to BCB favourite items such as industrial subsidies. Hathaway helped constitutional reforms which some Dranland return to a parliamentary republic. Once in full control of the party, he directed the Congress to change its name and policy to a more centrist catch all direction. Thus on April 2, 3536, the BCB was transformed to the DSU. 'Party leaders' 'Legislative elections' 'Presidential elections' Presidential elections Category:Presidential Elections